A report in the New York Times shows that many scholarships to law school are based on rigorous performance assessments, which are often calculated using curves. Students who cannot maintain high grade point averages often lose their scholarships after the first year, leaving them the stark option of abandoning law school or going into massive debt in order to complete their degrees.

Many history majors and minors at Northern Illinois University and other universities plan to pursue law degrees. Undergraduate students applying to law schools or graduate schools need to be aware of the rules for scholarships and to carefully consider how best to pursue higher degrees.

Thanks to my colleague Art Ward, who works closely with pre-law students at Northern Illinois University, for forwarding this article!